HALF LIFE FANS!!!

[alan1990]

Some of you may know about the secret codes and encrypted files that valve released in an update to portal the 1st of this month. Many speculation went on about what these could mean. its really really well documented here for anyones interested

http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=904084

but to make a long story short Valve just announced portal 2!!!!


some may be upset that they aren't announcing episode 3 but some feel this announcement coming just 4 days before GDC (one of the biggest game conventions of the year) must mean that they have something huge up there sleeves for GDC (episode 3!) or why else would they make such a big announcement just days before one of the biggest conferences of the year!!


all of their other franchises have just recently been updated and the last time a half life game came out it was bundled with the first portal game so except big news in the coming weeks!

 

[jipchen]

Nice. Portal was a lot of fun. Hl2:EP I & II, too
Still hoping the Steam on Mac rumors are true and they will make HL2, L4D, TF2 and Portal available soon.
And i will fucking freak out if i have to pay for the games a second time!

 

[Keregioz]

Portal was one of the best games I've ever played and I almost wish they never made a sequel so they wouldn't risk ruin the game. However I do have a lot of faith in valve, they seem to bring only quality stuff out.
As for HL2:EP3 what I've heard is that there's no plans for release in 2010. Also, that there's the possibility that there's not gonna be an episode 3 at all but it's going to be a full Half Life 3 game.

 

[jipchen]

Also, that there's the possibility that there's not gonna be an episode 3 at all but it's going to be a full Half Life 3 game.

This would ruin my social life and i'd finally buy a pc for gaming

 

[Metaltastic]

This would ruin my social life and i'd finally buy a pc for gaming

Except there's no way they wouldn't release it on consoles as well, and you better believe the 360 version will be mine

 

[Notuern]

Also, that there's the possibility that there's not gonna be an episode 3 at all but it's going to be a full Half Life 3 game.

If they release Episode 3, based on the ancient, outdated Source-engine, i wont bother playing it(Unless it costs less then 10$).
So i really, REALLY hope that they release it as Half-Life 3 with a new engine.

 

[MetalJonesy]

rlly rlly cant wait for hl2 ep3!!

 

[GarethSE]

If they release Episode 3, based on the ancient, outdated Source-engine, i wont bother playing it(Unless it costs less then 10$).
So i really, REALLY hope that they release it as Half-Life 3 with a new engine.

Who cares how old the engine is? What matters is the art direction, the story, the plot, the pacing, the gameplay mechanics, and Half-Life 2 still has pretty much every game ever made beaten on every aspect apart from graphical quality.

The facial animation shits on everything that's been done since then (even heavy rain, shit looks weiiiiiiiird in that game,) the voice acting is the most believable I've ever heard and the gameplay is fucking amazing and doesn't NEED changing or updating.

And anyway, making a game engine is like buying an amp, it's an investment, you expect it to last you a while.
Most engines are like "yeah we've made one game now with our brand new engine so let's start work on the new one!" which just doesnt make sense to me. Source engine still looks good, feels good, sounds good and just IS good so why change it yet? If it means we get more GAMES more often from a developer that is already notoriously slow, then what's to cry about? What matters is the game, not the engine, and Valve make fantastic games. I defy anyone to say Portal and HL2: EP2 looked ugly as well.

 

[updog]

I defy anyone to say Portal and HL2: EP2 looked ugly as well.

HL2: EP2 looked ugly as hell.

with the lowest possible resolution and graphical quality settings, because my PC can't handle anything more.

 

[G1]

Who cares how old the engine is? What matters is the art direction, the story, the plot, the pacing, the gameplay mechanics, and Half-Life 2 still has pretty much every game ever made beaten on every aspect apart from graphical quality.
well.

agreed

 

[Metaltastic]

The facial animation shits on everything that's been done since then (even heavy rain, shit looks weiiiiiiiird in that game,)

Cancelled by Uncharted 1 + 2 (2 of course has more detail and polygon counts and what not, but the eyes looked more natural/less creepy in the first ) Though I thought Ep 2 looked pretty solid, especially the Ant Lion den (revolting though it may have been ) Also, I've always thought all of those games have had some of the best implementation of motion blur I've ever seen

 

[GarethSE]

they never had motion blur when they came out. cant remember if ep 1 had motion blur or not on release, but yeah, those games look fucking staggering to this day. and uncharted 2 still looked a bit plastic wrapped. i think the reason i find half life 2's facial animation more convincing is because HL2 has like.. a very tactile, rough look rather than looking really shiny and plastic wrapped like games have a tendency to nowadays. Uncharted 2 looks incredible but there's still some uncanny valley elements going on at times cos of the graphics.

 

[narcossintese]

I played HL2 a bit when it was released but my pc couldn´t handle it at that time, so I forgot about it. Last month I decided to give it a go and bought The Orange Box. Finished HL2 and thought it was pretty cool, but overated. Haven´t played EP1 and EP2 yet, so I can´t make a proper judgement. Portal does deserve all the hype though.

I really don´t get all the hype on the plot/acting/background/voice of Half Life 2. It´s nowhere near of something like Bioshock. Playing Mass Effect 2 raised the bar so high for videogames now.

 

[Wolfeman]

I was pretty sure they are releasing Episode 3 on an update version of the source engine, which is why they are taking a few extra years to build it.

But honestly, I can care less even if it was on the old source engine. I could max everything out and it played smooth on my few year old card.

And for the Portal fans on PC, make sure you play Portal: Prelude, it's free anyway and is a whole new set of maps to play (and they are MUCH harder than the original)

 

[GarethSE]

and i figured they were upgrading the engine, they always do, but im guessing theyre doing a bigger update this time then eric?

 

[Wolfeman]

and i figured they were upgrading the engine, they always do, but im guessing theyre doing a bigger update this time then eric?

That's what they said back when Episode 2 was released. But who knows, software developers these days tend to say things that never happen.

 

[Morgan C]

I really don´t get all the hype on the plot/acting/background/voice of Half Life 2. It´s nowhere near of something like Bioshock. Playing Mass Effect 2 raised the bar so high for videogames now.

The original HL2 isn't great but the eps have you hanging around Alyx pretty much the whole time and the voice acting and animations of her are pretty insanely believable.

Hope its not released on an updated engine that my computer can't handle (128mb graphics card ftl)

 

[Notuern]

Who cares how old the engine is? What matters is the art direction, the story, the plot, the pacing, the gameplay mechanics, and Half-Life 2 still has pretty much every game ever made beaten on every aspect apart from graphical quality.

The facial animation shits on everything that's been done since then (even heavy rain, shit looks weiiiiiiiird in that game,) the voice acting is the most believable I've ever heard and the gameplay is fucking amazing and doesn't NEED changing or updating.

And anyway, making a game engine is like buying an amp, it's an investment, you expect it to last you a while.
Most engines are like "yeah we've made one game now with our brand new engine so let's start work on the new one!" which just doesnt make sense to me. Source engine still looks good, feels good, sounds good and just IS good so why change it yet? If it means we get more GAMES more often from a developer that is already notoriously slow, then what's to cry about? What matters is the game, not the engine, and Valve make fantastic games. I defy anyone to say Portal and HL2: EP2 looked ugly as well.

I dont have any problems in buying a new game based on an old engine, as long as it doesnt cost as much as much as a new one.
I used to be a part of the game-development industry, and i have to say, paying 50$ for a game based on old tech is just stupid.
I would say that 75% of the development costs in a game goes in to the technology behind it, the rest of the 25% is storyline, gamedesign and leveldesign.
So why the f*ck would i pay 50$ for a game thats not even bringing anything original, that is based on an old engine, when i can get a brand new game with a modern tech-engine, original storyline and gameplay for the same amount of money?

I still love Doom, Quake etc.. and i would still buy games with the same quality technology if they where good, but i would NOT pay an equal amount of money as to a game based on modern technology.

Trust me.. im no GFX-fag(As a semi-pro gamer, quite the opposite in fact.).

Edit:

Oh, and the source engine is kind of bland in my eyes.
Every single game that is based on it looks the same, feels the same and acts the same.
And i cant say that HL:EP2 looked ugly as hell, but compare it to the U3 engine that was released 4 years ago and see & feel the difference.
And as far as Portal goes GFX-wise, i could do almost the exact same stuff in the Gold-SRC engine without any problems(Except for the physics ofc.).

Just look at Nightwatch(Unreleased HL1-mod):

 

[Notuern]

HL2: EP2 looked ugly as hell.

with the lowest possible resolution and graphical quality settings, because my PC can't handle anything more.

Then you seriously need a new gfx-card! D;
Today, if you spend 30$, you get a GFX that will give you well over 120fps in that game with everything maxed out.

 

[GarethSE]

depends whether youre happy paying 50 bucks for a pretty piece of shit or an ugly 3 course meal with all the trimmings, the latter being half life.